The importance of resource interaction in strategies for managing supply chain disruptions

The turbulent business environment highlights the need for strategies for mitigating, responding to, and recovering from (that is, managing) supply chain disruptions. Resources are central in these strategies but remain unspecified in the literature. This paper shows how the resource interaction approach (RIA) can help under-standing resources in this setting by acknowledging their interactive and networked nature. Based on a con-ceptual discussion that compares key assumptions within the supply chain risk management (SCRM) and supply chain risk resilience (SCRes) literatures with the RIA, we propose an alternative approach to strategies for managing supply chain disruptions. We challenge the SCRM and SCRes literatures by emphasizing interdepen-dence (as opposed to independence) and pointing to relationships as key resources in strategies for managing supply chain disruptions. Collaboration relying on an interplay between temporary and permanent organizing is suggested as a starting point instead of being just one of several alternative strategies

Short of drugs?:Call upon Operations and Supply Chain Management

Purpose: This ‘impact pathways’ paper argues that operations and supply chain management (OSCM) could help address the worsening drug shortage problem in high-income countries. This significant societal problem poses difficult challenges to stakeholders given the complex and dynamic nature of drug supply chains. OSCM scholars are well positioned to provide answers, introducing new research directions for OSCM in the process. Design/methodology/approach: To substantiate this, we carried out a review of stakeholder reports from six European countries and the academic literature. Findings: There is little academic research and no fundamental agreement among stakeholders about causes of shortages. Stakeholders have suggested many government measures, but little evidence exists on their comparative cost-effectiveness. Originality/value: We discuss three pathways of impactful research on drug shortages to which OSCM could contribute: (1) Developing an evidence-based system view of drug shortages; (2) Studying the comparative cost-effectiveness of key government interventions; (3) Bringing supply chain risk management into the government and economics perspectives and vice versa. Our study provides a baseline for future COVID-19-related research on this topic

Localisation of logistics preparedness in international humanitarian organisations

__Purpose:__ To meet the rising global needs, the humanitarian community has signed off on making a strategic change toward more localisation, which commonly refers to the empowerment of national and local actors in humanitarian assistance. However, to this date, actual initiatives for localisation are rare. To enhance understanding of the phenomenon, the authors explore localisation of logistics preparedness capacities and obstacles to its implementation. The authors particularly take the perspective of the international humanitarian organisation (IHO) community as they are expected to implement the localisation strategy. __Design/methodology/approach:__ A phenomenon-driven, exploratory and qualitative study was conducted. Data collection included in-depth interviews with 28 experienced humanitarian professionals. __Findings:__ The findings showed the ambiguity inherent in the localisation strategy with largely different views on four important dimensions. Particularly, the interviewees differ about strengthening external actors or internal national/local offices. The resulting framework visualises the gap between strategy formulation and implementation, which forms major obstacles to the localisation aims. __Research limitations/implications:__ Further research is required to support the advancement of localisation of logistics preparedness capacities. Important aspects for future research include triangulation of results, other stakeholder perspectives and the influence of context. __Practical implications:__ The authors add to the important debate surrounding localisation by offering remedies to overcoming obstacles to strategy implementation. Further, the authors’ proposed framework offers a language to precisely describe the ways in which IHOs (should) view localisation of logistics preparedness capacities and its operationalisation. __Originality/value:__ To the best of authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first academic article on localisation within the humanitarian logistics context

Supply chain risk management strategies in normal and abnormal times:Policymakers’ role in reducing generic medicine shortages

Purpose – This paper links supply chain risk management to medicine supply chains to explore the role ofpolicymakers in employing supply chain risk management strategies (SCRMS) to reduce generic medicineshortages.Design/methodology/approach – Using secondary data supplemented with primary data, the authors mapand compare seven countries’ SCRMS for handling shortage risks in their paracetamol supply chains beforeand during the first two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic.Findings – Consistent with recent research, the study finds that policymakers had implemented few SCRMSspecifically for responding to disruptions caused by COVID-19. However, shortages were largely avoided sincemultiple strategies for coping with business-as-usual disruptions had been implemented prior to the pandemic.The authors did find that SCRMS implemented during COVID-19 were not always aligned with thoseimplemented pre-pandemic. The authors also found that policymakers played both direct and indirect roles.Research limitations/implications – Combining longitudinal secondary data with interviews sheds lighton how, regardless of the level of preparedness during normal times, SCRMS can be leveraged to avertshortages in abnormal times. However, the problem is highly complex, which warrants further research.Practical implications – Supply chain professionals and policymakers in the healthcare sector can use thefindings when developing preparedness and response plans.Social implications – The insights developed can help policymakers improve the availability of high-volumegeneric medicines in (ab)normal times.Originality/value – The authors contribute to prior SCRM research in two ways. First, the authorsoperationalize SCRMS in the medicine supply chain context in (ab)normal times, thereby opening avenues forfuture research on SCRM in this context. Second, the authors develop insights on the role policymakers playand how they directly implement and indirectly influence the adoption of SCRMS. Based on the study findings,the authors develop a framework that captures the diverse roles of policymakers in SCRM

Logistics Systems for Recycling - Efficient Collection of Household Waste

This dissertation investigates collection and recycling of household waste with focus on packaging materials. The purpose is how to describe and explain the d esign of a collection system according to different system environments in orde r to achieve high logistics performance in terms of low cost and high service. The research approach consists of two main parts. First, data on existing syst ems are collected and analysed. Then a model is used to analyse cost consequenc es from changes in the system and the environment. Four main properties of reverse distribution channels were identified including the number of distribution levels and distribution points, whether the system is bring or kerbside, the degree of separation at source and the degree of co- collection. The study further demonstrates that performance can be measured in a number of ways including service toward end-markets and households, costs, en vironmental consequences and programme ratios. Finally, two main environmental factors identified were population density and the number of materials being co llected in the system. The major conclusion from the study is that systems in areas with low populatio n density should collect and recycle few materials that should be separated at the source and then co-collected. Systems in areas with high population density, on the o ther hand, may collect many materials, but then centralized separation (i.e. processing in a MRF) should take place

Logistics Systems for Recycling - Efficient Collection of Household Waste

This dissertation investigates collection and recycling of household waste with focus on packaging materials. The purpose is how to describe and explain the d esign of a collection system according to different system environments in orde r to achieve high logistics performance in terms of low cost and high service. The research approach consists of two main parts. First, data on existing syst ems are collected and analysed. Then a model is used to analyse cost consequenc es from changes in the system and the environment. Four main properties of reverse distribution channels were identified including the number of distribution levels and distribution points, whether the system is bring or kerbside, the degree of separation at source and the degree of co- collection. The study further demonstrates that performance can be measured in a number of ways including service toward end-markets and households, costs, en vironmental consequences and programme ratios. Finally, two main environmental factors identified were population density and the number of materials being co llected in the system. The major conclusion from the study is that systems in areas with low populatio n density should collect and recycle few materials that should be separated at the source and then co-collected. Systems in areas with high population density, on the o ther hand, may collect many materials, but then centralized separation (i.e. processing in a MRF) should take place

Humanitarian supply chain strategies – a review of how actors mitigate supply chain risks

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to link humanitarian logistics (HL) and supply chain risk management (SCRM) to provide an understanding of risk mitigation strategies that humanitarian organisations use, or could use, to improve their logistics preparedness. Design/methodology/approach: Based on systematic reviews of RMS in SCRM and supply chain strategies (SCS) in HL literature, a framework is developed and used to review published case studies in HL. Findings: The study finds that humanitarian actors use a number of the strategies proposed in the framework, particularly those related to strategic stocks, postponement, and collaboration. Strategies related to sourcing and procurement, however, especially those on supplier relationships, seem to be lacking in both research and practice. Research limitations/implications: The study is based on secondary data and could be further developed through case studies based on primary data. Future studies should explore the generalisability of the findings. Practical implications: Practitioners can use the framework to identify potential new SCS and how strategies can be combined. Findings can help them to understand the abnormal risks of main concern, how they may impact normal risks, and provide ideas on how to tackle trade-offs between different risks. Social implications: The results can support improvements in humanitarian supply chains, which will provide affected people with rapid, cost-efficient, and better-adapted responses. Originality/value: The paper connects SCRM and HL to develop a framework and suggests propositions on how humanitarian actors can mitigate supply chain risks. Questioning the focus on strategic stock it suggests complementary or alternative strategies for improving logistics preparedness